Honda has fired up its new Formula One engine for the first time as it prepares to return to motor sport's premier category with McLaren in 2015.

The Japanese company has released a short audio clip of the new 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged V6 going through its first motions, though the jury remains out on how good the new engines will sound compared with the high-revving V10s and V8s of recent years.

You can judge for yourself by playing the video below.

Honda confirmed in May it would return to Formula One, teaming up again with the McLaren F1 team with which it shared a hugely successful partnership in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

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